Rage Against The Machine: Woodstock '99

The first time I saw Rage Against The Machine live, they didn't actually play a single song. They came to Philadelphia as part of 1993's Lollapalooza fest. I'd heard great things about them and was interested to see what they were all about. But when they came onto the main stage for their set it was clear we weren't in for a typical show. They were stark naked, with duct tape over their mouths and the letters PMRC written on their chests amid a squeal of incessant feedback, an obvious protest against the Parents Music Resource Center's censorship campaign. The band stood there for about twenty minutes before being escorted off the stage by police. At the time I was bummed that they didn't play, but their protest has since become one of my favorite concert war stories to recount. As an aside, the Philly show from this Lollapalooza was also the first gig that Tool played on the main stage. They blew me and my friends away, and I've been a huge fan ever since.

I thought I'd acknowledge RATM's pending reunion for Coachella 2007 by posting this gig from 1999's infamous Woodstock. You remember this one - where the airfield was burning at the end of a festival full of violence. Rage's set was considered the highlight by many, and they stirred the pot by burning an American flag during "Killing In The Name".

Rage Against The Machine
Woodstock 1999

No Shelter
People Of The Sun
Know Your Enemy
Born Of A Broken Man
Vietnow
Bullet In The Head
The Ghost Of Tom Joad
Bombtrack
Wake Up
Bulls On Parade
Freedom
Township Rebellion
Killing In The Name

Download the set here.

Buy RATM's music here.